Check reference / Token & Context Cost

TOKEN-03 Description budget footprint

Token & Context Cost · 15% of the grade · deterministic · applies to skills · subagents · slash commands

Deterministic — runs on every scan, no LLM or network needed.

Why it matters

Unlike the body, the `description` is loaded into the model's skill listing on every turn — even when the skill never fires — so its length is an always-on context tax. Past the ~1,536-char listing cap it risks being truncated or dropped entirely, which can stop the skill from ever triggering.

How to fix it

Trim the `description` to the essential trigger phrases: this check warns above 1,024 chars and fails above 1,536. Move examples and detail into the SKILL.md body, which only loads when the skill actually fires.